Domestic testing takes off with American's latest COVID-19 expansion
Over the last few weeks, American Airlines has offered COVID-19 testing through its partner, LetsGetChecked, giving select passengers access to a $129 at-home PCR test.
Initially, testing was limited to passengers traveling to a handful of destinations, including Belize, Grenada and St. Lucia, plus select Hawaii flights. Now, AA is gearing up to offer LetsGetChecked's services to a far larger group of travelers.
As of Wednesday, Dec. 9, American will also begin offering test kits to travelers headed to the following domestic destinations with testing requirements:
- Connecticut
- Chicago
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New Mexico
- New York state
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- Washington, D.C.
Travelers headed to the destinations above, in addition to eligible international airports, are instructed to order their testing kits five or more days before departure at this dedicated page.
From there, you'll need to schedule a UPS pickup, activate your test online and collect and return your sample within the required timeframe. Note that some travelers may also need to join an "observation call," depending on the destination. Results should arrive within 48 hours of the lab receiving your test.
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Note that LetsGetChecked requires a $129 payment for each test, though it may be possible to submit your receipt to your insurance provider for reimbursement.
As American Airlines explains, "a negative test result can exempt you from a 14-day quarantine" — however, that isn't a guarantee. Requirements are constantly evolving, so be sure to check with the city and/or state you're planning to visit to ensure you're compliant with current regulations before you board your flight.
Other U.S. airlines have also been experimenting with pre-flight testing options. Delta will begin offering testing to help eligible travelers avoid quarantine requirements at select European destinations beginning later this month, and United recently began a rapid-test trial for London-bound flights from Newark. The carrier has been coordinating testing for select Hawaii-bound flyers as well.
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The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
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- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
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- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
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- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month